A Passage culled from the Introduction to the Tamil translation of the Vivekchudamani by Sri Bhagwan:

Sri Bhagwan: "Like butter forced out of curd by ceaseless churning, the mind, used as churn-staff, should be fixed on the Heart and the later ceaselessly churned. This unswerving and unremitting churning, like the continuous flow of filamentary oil, automatically results in Sahaja Nirvikalpa Samadhi."

Dear Devotees,

The mind improves by practice and becomes finer just as razor's sharp edge is sharpened by stropping, and fixing such sharpened mind on the Heart becomes progressively easier and easier because vasanas or predispositions which swerve the attention away weaken and cannot survive for want of attention. And Sri Bhagwan has taught that when the object to be witnessed and the witness himself finally merge together, absolute consciousness alone reigns supreme, that is, at long last, the mind realizes its essential nature as consciousness. Sri Bhagwan has revealed that It Itself is the Swarupa (Real Self).

Dear devotees, the above passage from the Introduction to the Vivekchudamani is, in my view, of supreme importance for all those who had been practicing self-contemplation and self-investigation with deep love, shradha (faith), sincerity and earnestness of purpose, for some time now. For, we must always remember Sri Bhagwan's Teaching in Verse 9-19 of the Sri Ramana Gita that just as a red-hot iron ball can behave as fire, so also the mind suffused with Self-enquiry is not different from the Self.

Therefore, it is high time to assimilate and endeavour to reach a stage in sadhana when we are able to follow the Teaching in the Upadesa Saram that one should fix the mind on the Heart, not in spells of meditation, but in one continuous current, steady as a stream or downward flow of oil.

Sri J. Krishnamurti has observed in chapter 10 of the third part of his 'Commentaries on Living' that 'thought creates the thinker; it is the thinking process that brings the thinker into being. Thought comes first, and later the thinker; it is not the other way round'.

Sri Sadhu Om, while commenting on Sri Krishnamurti's above observation, has written aptly and appropriately that the thinker as well as the thoughts arise simultaneously. They are mutually dependent. It follows that if it is true in a certain sense that thought does bring the thinker into being, it is certainly true to say that the thinker brings the thought into being. Neither can rise or stand without the other. So, Sri Om, in my view, says absolutely rightly that it is absurd to say that thought comes first. To whom does the thought come? Who knows it ? Sri Om says beautifully that the thinker of thoughts is also the knower of thoughts. 'Who else but I, the thinker knows the thoughts?'

Dear devotees, I whole-heartedly accept Sri Om's view because his elucidation, in my view, is always according to Sri Bhagwan's Teaching. For instance, Sri Bhagwan taught regarding the above discussion as follows:

Sri Bhagwan: "The thoughts are spontaneous, superficial or analytical. They operate in intellect. Then, who is aware of them? The existence of thoughts, their clear conceptions and their operations become evident to individual. THE ANALYSIS LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE INDIVIDUALITY OF THE PERSON IS OPERATIVE AS THE PERCEIVER OF THE EXISTENCE OF THOUGHTS AND OF THEIR SEQUESNCE."

Dear devotees, moreover, Sri Bhagwan has taught that of all the thoughts that appear in the mind, the thought called 'I' is the first original, basic or principal thought. Only after this rises do other thoughts rise.

And the thought called 'I' is none other than the thinker himself which was termed by Sri Bhagwan as the 'I'-thought or the ego-self. It is our experience that if the thinker subsides, thoughts also subside along with the thinker, and vice versa. Is it not? Sri Bhagwan has taught that the thoughts nourish and sustain the thinker. So, Sri Om's insight that the thinker, the first person or the 'I'-thought will never subside by attending to thoughts which are always either second or the third persons, is perfectly vaild and is in line with Sri Bhagwan's Teaching. However, if the thinker attends to itself, other thoughts stand ignored and subsequently they die for want of attention, and of course, does die the thinker 'I' along with its thoughts. So, indeed, Self-attention is of paramount importance as Sri Om tirelessly endevoured to drive home during his life-time.

Why does the thinker die along with its associated thoughts? BECAUSE THE THINKER LOSES ITS NATURE AS THINKER, IN THE ABSENCE OF ITS THOUGHTS, AND REMAINS MERELY AS "I AM", WHICH IS NEITHER A THINKER NOR A THOUGHT.

When an American devotee, Sri J.M. Lorey prayed to Sri Bhagwan for a message which he might treasure and carry with him to his native place, Sri Bhagwan replied thus:

Sri Bhagwan: The Master is not outside you as you seem to imagine. He is within, is in fact the Self. RECOGNISE THIS TRUTH. Seek within you and find Him there. Then you will have constant communion with Him. The message is always there; it is never silent; it can never forsake you: nor can you ever move away from the Master.Talk--503

Dear devotees, Sri Bhagwan has thus emphatically asked, almost implored, that we should recognise this truth for once and all that the Master is within and is in fact the very Self. Only because of the out-going tendency of our mind, we seem to see objects as being outside, and worst of all, even the Master among them! Only thing needed is to turn our mind within, and Lo! Behold! we realize that the Master is our very Self and there is nothing but Him. Therefore, how can we ever be without the Master? NO WAY!

Dear devotees, this is yet another great benefit which accrues from pursuing the sadhana of the Atma-vichara or the Self-enquiry, which indeed is the Maha Yoga. As one progresses, in this Maha Yoga, one develops naturally the knack of looking upon the Inner Self as the Real Guru. Then, though for such a one, the significance of the Guru's outer form, photographs, and other symbol, such as His Ashram, Samadhi, etc., remain undiminished till the very end, one's prayer, if any at all, is always directed to the Self within. Such a one no longer differentiates between Guru, God and the Self anymore.

What follow are a few concluding passages from the Editorial of the current Mountain Path titled 'Bhagwan, Now And To Come':

This process could just happen at the Samadhi of Sri Ramana Maharshi which radiates a glow towards which we spontaneously gravitate. It could also happen in a dream. It could be a sentence in a book that stops in our tracks or a photograph of Bhagwan. That moment we just know something happened and we are never the same. As long as the history of Bhagwan in whatever shape or form has that capacity to transform us, it is legitimate. Bhagwan did not encourage the belief in miracles nor the use of paranormal powers. He did not perform miracles yet difficulties were resolved as if by coincidence. We see today in our own relationship with Bhagwan that with a sincere heart, problems seem to disappear or become irrelevant albeit with no apparent outside intervention. Bhagwan called it 'AUTOMATIC DIVINE ACTION' and took no credit for its activity. Bhagwan's life was a demonstration of this principle and if there are lessons for us to learn from it, it is this: develop a relation with a guru and allow His grace to guide us. THIS IS A MIRACLE. Our existence is full of second thoughts, third thoughts ad infinitum. There is no such thing as mentally standing still. Most of our ideas and thoughts have only transient value. Bhagwan gave us some powerful thoughts that went straight to the heart of our predicament. These insights are like bija mantras. They stick in our mind and evolve. Our task is to allow them to alter and purify our thought patterns. To take us beyond habit, assumptions and ignorance. When God promised a supplicant that he would win the lottery, the man was grateful and happy, until the numbers were drawn and he hadn?t won. The man complained to God who answered that the man hadn?t even bought a lottery ticket. In order to win one must at least take the trouble to buy a ticket. For us to merge with Bhagwan we must take that first crucial step. As Bhagwan has said, once that is done, He can take those nine steps towards us. This first single step calls for dedication, tears, toil and songs of love; the rest is out of our hands.

Dear devotees, yes, how this happens we do not know, but when it happens, we just know something happened, and yes, we are never the same again. Our mind cannot fathom it. Therefore, we accept it for what it really is--MYSTERIOUS AND TARGETTED TRANSMISSION OF HIS GRACE. Dear devotees, this indeed is the miracle! When I read the reminisces of those devotees who came to Sri Bhagwan in His Life-time or after His Maha Samadhi, I wonder and marvel at His mysterious ways, for I can easily discern a similar pattern in all their stories--something happens all of a sudden and one is stopped in one's tracks such that one is never the same again. I feel that if someone is drawn to Him and His Teaching, like iron pieces to a powerful magnet , it has a deep implication for such a one, whether one is aware as such or not. Yes, in that case, we must realize our intimacy with Him and endeavour to metamorphose into His disciple, and thus allow His Grace to effectively guide us. If we do or endeavour to do this much, we need not remain concerned with our problems and difficulties anymore, for certainly they get resolved or become irrelevant with time, FOR THEN IT SHOULD BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT THE 'AUTOMATIC DIVINE ACTION', SRI BAHGWAN SPEAKS OF, IS IN OPERATION, AND THAT FIRST CRUCIAL STEP HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN.

Grasping form, the formless phantom-ego rises into being; grasping form it stands, grasping and feeding on forms it grows abundantly; leaving one form, it grasps another form. If sought (examined and investigated), it will take flight. Investigate.

V. 25, Fory Verses On That which Is.

The thinker is the ego, the first thought called 'I', and the forms that it grasps are all other thoughts. Therefore when it stops grasping any thought by trying to grasp itself alone, it will take flight--that is, it will subside and disappear. THIS IS THE IMPORTANT SECRET THAT BHAGWAN HAS REVEALED TO US, because it is the only way to root out our ego, the root of all other thoughts.

To talk of 'witnessing thoughts' as if that were a sadhana is meaningless, because we are always witnessing our thoughts. It is the nature of the thinker to witness or be aware of its thoughts. No thought can arise unless it is experienced or witnessed by the thinker. Therefore the activity of 'witnessing' the mind is going on whenever there are any thoughts. However, if we are told to 'remain as the witness', that means we should withdraw our attention from whatever is witnessed and from the act of witnessing it both of which are second and third person thoughts and should fix it only on the witness, the first person thought 'I'. Then thinking and witnessing will both cease, and the thinker or witness will merge into its source. Source: Current Mountain Path

Dear devotees, for a change, I have a slightly different view regarding 'witness'. Though I accept that 'to remain as witness' means that we should withdraw our attention from whatever is witnessed and even from the act of witnessing and fix our attention only on the witness (thinker or the 'I'-thought), and should finally remain as 'Witness' , I do not accept the view that the 'witness' is the 'I'-thought which is in fact the ego. Sri Bhagwan has taught that 'Witness' implies Presence in which 'witness', the 'witnessed' as well as 'the act of witnessing' itself merge together, and what remains is mere Presence, or the NOW, or the Witness or 'I am'. In my view, 'Witness' is bereft of the insentient part 'so and so' of the ego, and therefore, 'I Am' alone is the 'Witness' or the Presence or the 'Now'.

Dear devotees, I feel that all this is easily attained if we understand that whatever we see outside is in truth our own existence-consciousness, projected through the lens of our mind and senses.

I am very happy to see some essential and fundamental teachings of Sri Bhagwan in picture format. I have copied and saved some of them for myself, and this inspired me to write and post something today under the Topic started by me. Thanks very much for your beautiful effort.

The nature of the mind is activity, and it will do anything to prolong and preserve its own existence. The moment it begins to subside, and we begin to get a sense of the peace which this might bring, it springs back into existence, generating numerous thoughts about how, using this very mind, we might determine the nature of the peace, make it our permanent state, and so on. Therefore the wise course is to ignore the mind and put one's attention wholly on the Self, Siva, by dwelling on the sense 'I' sense.Mountain Path

Dear Devotees,

Having been drawn to the Lotus Feet of our great Jnana Guru, Bhagwan Sri Ramana, and practiced His Great Path of the Atma-vichara or the Self-enquiry, with perseverance and deep faith in His Teaching, one surely must at least have experienced the joy of mere being or joy of Real Identity, albeit temporarily, brought about by temporary subsidence of the mind. If one has really walked the Path, this is certain.

At this stage of enquiry, yes, as has been observed in the Mountain Path above, the moment one experiences peace or joy of being, threatened ego-mind senses an opportunity to emerge and assert. This is due to residual ego's selfishness which prompts the sadhaka to make this peace permanent, to determine its nature, and make this state one's own, that is, for oneself or for the individual-self, which is impossible. This residual selfishness swerves the sadhaka from the self-attention and generates numerous thoughts, leading the sadhaka every time, from the sadhana of the 'Stand Still' thus to wrong identifications over and over again. One needs to guard diligently against this pernicious intrusion of the ego at this stage of the sadhana.

Dear devotees, Sri Bhagwan has taught: NEVER MIND THE MIND. Yes, to me this seems to be the wisest thing to do at this stage of sadhana. Therefore, I feel that ignoring the mind and putting one's attention wholly on the Self, by dwelling unwaveringly on the 'I'-sense is the wisest thing to be done by the the initiated.

Dear devotees, every one of us is the Self. Are we not? Self is Pure Consciousness, and therefore, we are the Consciousness, the Self-consciousness, which is the only consciousness whatever. This Consciousness alone is perfect stillness.

What are thoughts? A thought is movement in consciousness. Movement in consciousness disturbs the stillness, duality creeps in, and the world of diversity shoots forth, even faster than rockets or missiles. Therefore, as Sri Bhagwan has taught, one needs to be always on guard, such that one is able to sense the impending movement, and is thus able to kill the movement even before they gather energy to disturb the stillness or the peace. Perseverance gradually brings about this alertness which enables an earnest sadhaka to kill the thoughts even before they rise.

Keeping the attention thus wholly onto oneself is wisdom. If attention strays or goes outward, bringing it back and fixing it in the Self is indeed wisdom, as advised by the Gita, and taught by Sri Bhagwan Himself. Of course, it is not easy, for, except for a few, it will, for most of us, come only with practice or sadhana in due course, but sure, it will come if we keep on doing our part of the duty.

Sri Bhagwan has taught that space and time do not exist, and we are, in truth, spaceless and timeless. But still He indicated the Reality by the wonderful phrase 'Here and Now', did He not?

I am and it is a fact. Is it not? Though I am everywhere, it also means that Enquiry must go on where I am, and not outside me (that is, not outside I am). So, I am the centre of Enquiry and the Centre is the Heart, Sri Bhagwan speaks of. Location given to it with reference to the body is valid only so long as we identify with the body, but the knowledge that I am-- is not dependent on the body, for even without the knowledge of the body we know that we are, as in deep sleep. So, the Reality can be reached, or accessed, if I may say so, only 'here'. What I mean to say is only this that Presence Sri Bhagwan speaks of can be accessed only 'here', where I am. So, the word 'here' in 'Here and Now' indicates the Presence. It also means that we are closest to our own reality, and therefore, to God, only here, and nowhere else. Is it not?

Dear devotees, Sri Bhagwan has taught that the wise course is to ignore the mind and put one's attention wholly on the Self, Siva, by dwelling on the sense 'I' . But I realised soon that focussing one's attention on the sense 'I' is same as focussing attention on the present moment, and reaching closer and closer to the Swarupa, one can easily discern and recognise that focussing attention WHOLLY ON THE SELF is exactly the same as focussing attention WHOLLY on 'Now'. So, we need to face the present moment fearlessly, doing away with the joys and sorrows of the past, and giving up ancient habit of seeking salvation in the future.

Dear devotees, IF ONE ONLY KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD HOW CLOSE ONE IS TO ONE'S OWN REALITY AND TO GOD IF ONE FOCUSSED ONE'S ATTENTION ON TO ONESELF!! The Power of Presence that dissolves all illusion of time and space can therefore be accessed rather easily here and now, by focussing attention, first on the present moment, and improving by degrees, wholly on 'Now', that is, realising the Presence and accessing the Power of Presence, which is the same as focussing attention wholly on the Self (this is, in my view, what is called turning attention by 180 degrees), for It is Realisation Sri Bhagwan speaks of. What is here and now, most immediate and most intimate, is only the Self.

The above is based on my own understanding and experience of Sri Bhagwan's Teaching, and anyone who has similar understanding and experience may share one's insights if such a one so desires.

Anil,Good to see you posting after an interval.The Essence of self enquiry is given in these two talks by Sri Bhagavan:12th July, 1938 Talk 501.A young Mysorean asked:D.: How did I get this body?M.: You speak of 'I' and the 'body'. There is the relationship between the two. You are not therefore the body. The question does not occur to the body because it is inert. There is an occasion when you are not aware of the body - namely, in deep sleep. The question does not arise then. Nevertheless you are there in sleep. To whom does the question arise now?D.: The ego.M.: Yes. The body and the ego rise up together and sink together. There is an occasion when you are not associated with the ego in deep sleep. Now you are associated with the ego. Of these two states which is your real state? You are present in sleep and the same 'You' is present now too. Why should the doubt arise now and not then? You are right in saying that it is for the ego. You are not the ego. The ego is intermediate between the Self and the body. You are the Self. Find out the origin of the ego and see if the doubt persists.Sri Bhagavan added after a few minutes: The answer, according to sastras, will be that the body is due to karma. The question will be how did karma arise? We must say 'from a previous body' and so on without end. The direct method of attack is not to depend on invisible hypotheses but to ask 'Whose Karma is it? Or whose body?' Hence I answered in this manner. This is more purposeful.

19th January, 1939,Talk 612.M:Uncertainties, doubts and fears are natural to everyone until the Self is realised. They are inseparable from the ego, rather they are the ego.D.: How are they to disappear?M.: They are the ego. If the ego goes they go with it. The ego is itself unreal. What is the ego? Enquire. The body is insentient and cannot say 'I' . The Self is pure consciousness and non-dual. It cannot say 'I' . No one says, 'I' in sleep. What is the ego then? It is something intermediate between the inert body and the Self. It has no locus standi. If sought for it vanishes like a ghost. You see, a man imagines that there is something by his side in darkness; it may be some dark object. If he looks closely the ghost is not to be seen, but some dark object which he could identify as a tree or a post, etc. If he does not look closely the ghost strikes terror in the person. All that is required is only to look closely and the ghost vanishes. The ghost was never there. So also with the ego. It is an intangible link between the body and Pure Consciousness. It is not real. So long as one does not look closely it continues to give trouble. But when one looks for it, it is found not to exist.Again, in a Hindu marriage function, the feasts continue five or six days. A stranger was mistaken for the best man by the bride's party and they therefore treated him with special regard. Seeing him treated with special regard by the bride's party, the bridegroom's party considered him to be some man of importance related to the bride's party and therefore they too showed him special respect. The stranger had altogether a happy time of it. He was also all along aware of the real situation. On one occasion the groom's party wanted to refer to him on some point. They asked for him. He scented trouble and made himself scarce. So it is with the ego. If looked for, it disappears. If not, it continues to give trouble.How it is to be looked for is learnt from those who have already done so. That is the reason why the Master is approached.The aim and objective of self enquiry is to challenge the very reality of the ego and realizing its non existence.The fundamental thing as i understand is this-The ego was nonexistent in sleep and is seemingly active now.On being challenged the hollowness of it is exposed and it is found to be nonexistent and Self alone abides.Self enquiry starts with a strong doubting enquiry into the very existence(actually nonexistence,and so 'how come you are there' like) of the ego.No need to get close to the Reality that one always is.Enough to see through the deception of the Ego which is nothing but a thought.Here is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna where the Master refers to this approach:Illusoriness of "I""If one analyses oneself, one doesn't find any such thing as 'I'. Take an onion, for instance. First of all you peel off the red outer skin; then you find thick white skins. Peel these off one after the other, and you won't find anything inside.In that state a man no longer finds the existence of his ego. And who is there left to seek it? Who can describe how he feels in that state-in his own Pure Consciousness-about the real nature of Brahman? Once a salt doll went to measure the depth of the ocean. No sooner was it in the water than it melted. Now who was to tell the depth?"self enquiry is to dislodge the spectre of the ego and ending its play.

Sri Bhagwan has taught that the wise course is to ignore the mind and put one's attention wholly on the Self, Siva, by dwelling on the sense 'I'

To the contrary,Bhagavan is advising to train all the attention on the root of the Mind,the root thought 'I' from where the mind branches out and challenge its very existence until it is found to be nonexistent.Doubt the Doubter is one of his mantra.One cannot pay attention to the Self that shines of its own accord-It will be like holding a light to view the sun.

Yes, you have said it all rather beautifully. Reality is not somewhere faraway so that it can be realised outside oneself at some future date. Reality is here and now, as Sri Bhagwan has taught. Therefore, yes, there is no need to get close to the Reality, for, from the standpoint of Reality one is always the Self and only the Self. However, there is a need to put an end to the ignorance through proper Enquiry or Surrender, and thus to be able to see through the deception and illusoriness of the ego, as you said. Then only wrong identification with ghost-like ego or the 'I'-thought, or for that matter with any thought whatsoever, will come to an end, for once and all. Then only one identifies with consciousness and remains as consciousness. Progress or 'coming close', etc, is spoken of, as you may be aware, to refer to dissolving this false and illusory veil of ignorance or reduction in number of thoughts or clinging to the consciousness 'I am' and acquiring thereby a greater and greater clarity and intensity of focus and concentration upon it. That is all what I meant.

Thanks very much, dear Sri Ravi Bhai Saheb, for your beautiful response. Yes, I have visited this forum after an interval, and I do not know for how long I shall be able to contribute in this forum, for, I do not feel the same urge and necessity, as before, to do so.

Quote from Sri Ravi:"Anilbhai,QuoteSri Bhagwan has taught that the wise course is to ignore the mind and put one's attention wholly on the Self, Siva, by dwelling on the sense 'I'

To the contrary,Bhagavan is advising to train all the attention on the root of the Mind,the root thought 'I' from where the mind branches out and challenge its very existence until it is found to be nonexistent.Doubt the Doubter is one of his mantra. One cannot pay attention to the Self that shines of its own accord-It will be like holding a light to view the sun."

Dear Sri Ravi,

There are no two selves, as Sri Bhagwan has taught. Self-attention is focussing attention onto oneself, on the sense of 'I', yet one should remember that one is never apart from the Self. Ego-mind is impermanent, transitory. There is nothing but the Self.

Sri Bhagwan: To inhere in the Self is the thing. Never mind the mind. If its source is sought, it will vanish leaving the Self unaffected.

To me, dear Sri Ravi bhai saheb, seeking the source or diving deep within or holding the doubter, etc., means only the self-attention or Self-attention, whatever you may call it, that is, clinging to the consciousness 'I am', and attaining greater clarity and intensity of concentration upon it, and nothing else.

Sri Bhagwan: Only be aware of the Self. Why worry about these shadows? How do they affect the Self?

Love for sensual pleasure is evident, but the love for the Self remains unrivalled. The love for sensual pleasures undergoes changes whereas the intense love for the Self remains unchanging. Sensual pleasures can be enjoyed or rejected, but who is there to accept or reject the Self? The Self can reject all other pleasures but not reject itself. V. 116, Kaivalya Navaneeta

At the time of one's death, the secondary self, namely the son, who succeeds to the father's estate, assumes prominence. At the time of nourishment, the illusory self namely the body, is prominent. When a happy future life is desired, the acting self, i.e. the ego, becomes prominent. But in the state of Liberation, the Self, to wit pure consciousness, is prominent.V. 119, Kaivalya Navaneeta

Even a tiger becomes a favourite when it is obedient and a son is hated when he thwarts one. In this world, the things like straw which are neither loved nor hated, are treated with indifference. But under no circumstances does the love of the stainless Self diminish for anyone.

Dear devotees, everything is dear because of love for the Self only. What is there with all of us, constant and unbroken, ever standing TALL, from our birth to death, everyone experiencing even when the expereincer is absent (as in dep sleep or swoon), is the Supreme Self, the Swarupa or the Natural State. Having reached this understanding, the right course is to investigate our true nature, which itself is unbroken love and bliss, AND JUST BE (REALISE THE SELF). Pranam, Anil

Sri Sadhu Om's insight into Sri Bhagwan's Teaching helped me greatly, and therefore, I shall keep on posting, now and then, some of his more insightful passages, for my own benefit as well as for yours:

Sri Sadhu Om: Self-attention is not to be done with any strain. Any other contemplation may need effort, but though this is called self-attention, it is nothing but a mental rest, relaxing the mind from attending to other things. Though it is said 'turn your mind towards self' it is not an action done by the mind. WHEN THE MIND DOES NOT DO ANYTHING BUT KEEPS ITSELF AT REST, IT IS TRULY ATTNEDING TO SELF. Since this is an effortless state, how can there be any strain? The mind will have a reaction of insanity or jumoing in a topsy-turvy way only if it is strained--that is, if it is compelled to concentrate on any other, whether in the name of self-attention or any other meditation.In our path of abiding in self, the mind returns to its home and takes rest from its adventures in yoga.Mountain Path

Dear devotees, Sri Sadhu Om has thus pointed out the cardinal Point of the Atma-vichara or the Self-enquiry. This is simple, yet profound. You must have noticed that Sri Om, deliberately and wisely, does not differentiate individual self from the Supreme Self. He leaves it to the sadhaka himself to find out as to who really he is. He does not want us to forestall the 'great Investigation' by assuming that we are not the individual or secondary self, but the Supreme Self Himself!

Dear devotees, yes, there is no doubt whatever that though this is called self-attention or the self-enquiry, however if practiced as taught by Sri Bhagwan, this practice sooner than later bestows a blissful taste of cessation of mental activities, and brings about complete rest of mind, as Sri Om has rightly pointed out above.

What happens is this: There comes a stage in the sadhana of the self-enquiry when efforts and struggles to attend the self leave the sadhaka of their own accord, and then only does the real sadhana-self-attention begins. Fallacy: We think that we must put in effort to withdraw our mind from the thoughts and objects (all second and third persons) onto ourselves (first person). But truth is other way round: we assert and strain ourselves to attend to myriad thoughts and objects and get tired and want rest. If it seems to require effort to attend to the self, this is because we like very much and prefer to attend to things other than ourselves. So long as world and its objects appear interesting, one will sure have to stress and stain oneself for withdrawing one's attention from the thoughts and objects of the world. Therefore, first we need urgently to give up these inimical liking and preferences to other things. Then, surely, resting in our natural state of effortless self-attention or self-abidance will be very easy, which is Jnana Itself.

Sage Sri Vashishta: That is known as moksha or liberation when ignorance ceases through self-enquiry, when the jiva becomes no-jiva instantly and when the mind becomes no-mind.Yoga Vashishta

Dear devotees, no mind above is the Pure Mind, which, in truth, is Absolute Consciousness. Mind (impure mind), as we know it in the state of ignorance, is the bundle of thoughts or the aggregate of the vasanas or predispositions, and naught else. As there is a space and there are objects in it, so also there are thoughts in manoakasa. This is why it is taught that the if the vasanas or predispositions are destroyed and thoughts cease, that itself is Knowledge. Knowledge is the knowledge of the Reality. Therefore, VICHARA OR ENQUIRY ITSELF IS KNOWLEDGE.